Condition of Population

Imperilment

The reasons for almost complete extinction of European beaver in the whole area and in Serbia as well, are identical.

The first reason of extinction is over-hunting. There are several reasons for exposing of this species to constant hunting pressure:

Belief in healing abilities of the certain parts of the body (first of all costreum gland)

Using of the products of this gland in cosmetic purposes

The quality of fur

Beaver meat which was allowed by the church during the lent

Over-hunting was followed by destroying habitats. It led to narrowing of territory and reducing the number of population. It has been registered that flooded and swampy areas have been reduced 10 times compared with the period when beaver was present in considerable number (the beginning of the 19th century).

International Status and Beaver Protection

Despite the effort done on revitalization and protection of beaver in Europe , it is still, more or less, endangered species. Because of that all international conventions included beaver into one of the endangered categories. The most significant laws which classify beaver as endangered species are:

Berne Convention, Appendix III

EU Habitat and Species Directive, Annex II and IV

IUCN Red List, Lower Risk

According to all Conventions and considering the degree of endangering, there is an obligation of faking some measures for protecting and restoring the population of European beaver as well as the habitats they live in. That tells us that besides measures for protecting of species are equally important for survival and growth increase of beaver as species.

State of Population

In Europe there are only 6 autochthonous isolated families left with small number of species:

Rhône river – France

Elba river – Germany

South Norway

Nyemen river – Belarus

Pripyat swamp- Belarus

Vorornez river – Russia

- previous reintroduction

- planned reintroduction

- other autochthonous population

At the beginning of the 20th century the last specimen was shot which made this species extinct on the territory of Serbia . The same happened in the whole area.

In Asia there are only 3 populations left (two in Serbia and one on the China – Mongolia border) also with a small number of specimens.